Category: Seaboard News Gaelic archive

This month I’ve picked out a batch of Seaboard words connected to the shore, boats and fishing. (Thanks as usual to all the many contributors!) The vast majority are from Gaelic, as usual, even though local pronunciation often varies from that given in dictionaries. I haven’t been able to track down the roots of one or two, so any help with these would be appreciated. And I’m no expert on technical terms for boat parts etc, despite the best efforts of Bruce and Hugh, so please excuse (and correct) any inaccuracies! Please send any further contributions on this or any other subject to me, or just hand them in to the Hall.

Before I forget, I have also left in the Hall office a reference copy of a new booklet just published by Seòsamh Watson, the Irish professor who conducted interviews and research on Gaelic in the Villages over several years, especially with Bell Ann and Dolly. The booklet is called Boats, Bibles and Boyans, and is a collection of some of Seòsamh’s articles on the Seaboard, especially Gaelic-related. (Mìle taing to him for sending that on.)  Do ask there if you’re interested in seeing it.  A few people have their own copies, so would maybe lend them out. I don’t think the book is commercially available just now.

Shore

Cladach – coastline, shore

-mara – of the sea, of the tide (muir = sea), e.g. eun-mara – seabird; làn-mara – full/high tide; muc-mhara – a whale (sea pig!); maighdeann-mhara – mermaid.

Taigh na Mara – Sea House; Sùil na Mara – Eye of the Sea /
gateway to the sea

Stralyach 
=stràilleach – pile of seaweed on the shore  (pron. straw-lyach)

tungle – local pronunciation of Eng. /Scots Tangle,
large edible seaweed with thick stalk and strap-like fronds

a porsht – a wee landing place. Gaelic: port, pron. porsht,
a port or landing-place

gannach meen = gainmheach mìn, fine sand (pron. ganyach
meen)

There’s a big suik on today – a big swell. Scots souk
= suck, Gaelic sùghadh (soo-ugh)– a sucking, swell, the motion of the
sea

Maighstir-cala – harbourmaster

Boat parts

Kennacracken /  Ceann a’ chrataich – seat end support in boat (top end of curved beam running up inside side of boat under seat)  G: ceann – head, top, end; cratach – back or side of a person.

Mash-crosh / mais-crois – footboard when rowing. G:
maide-crois. maide – wood, stick, beam; crois – crutch or cross (match-eh-crosh)

Thaft – seat across coble (  G. tobhta, pron. approx.. tofta,
Eng./Scots Taft or thaft = thwart, rower’s bench)

Jalup – pin for the oars.   G: dealg – pin, wire, skewer (pron. jalluk)

Rollack – rowlock. 
G: rolag

Tallip – rowlock  
G: talb – protuberance; rowlock (pron. tallup)

Fishing

Pockan-mor = pocan-mara – the sea-bag, a cloth bag
with the fisherman’s food for the trip.

Croick – a stand for a creel.  Croich; gallows, cross

Dreichie – a small boat-anchor  (no origin found)

Cleep /cleap / clape = Gaelic: clip (pron. cleep)
– a hand-hook or gaffe for bringing in larger fish, lobsters or even a net.

Clye / clie – a creel, lobster-pot. Local
pronunciation of Gaelic cliabh (clee-av)

Boicho the line – baiting . G: biathadh, pron. bee-ach-ugh
or bee-ach-oo.

Raku the line– redd, clean, disentangle.   Possibly from G: ràcadh – raking; or racadh, a variant of sracadh – ripping, cutting apart; or even rèitich – redding

Plàtach – rush mat for placing the line on while
baiting etc. G: plàt – woven material from rushes or straw

Bothan, pron. bo-an or bo-han, a shed
or bothy, e.g. for storing nets or for smoking fish.

Strachail, strachu – a jerk or tug, e.g. when a fish was on the line, or a pull or rip in a jumper or net. Probably from Gaelic: streachail – lacerate; sracadh – tear (pron. sdrach-ugh/oo)

Kaip /caib / ceap – spade for digging lug.  G: caibe – spade, mattock

Biarst / bearst – a square frame round which a
handline was wound.  G: beairt, pron. byarsht
– generally equipment or tackle, or a contraption, frame. Beairt-iasgaich –
fishing tackle; beairt-fhighe – a loom.

Scountack / scountag – a (short?) fishing line.
“Baiting the scountag”, “I’m going to put out the scountag”. No definite origin
found so far but a very common Seaboard word. 
Possible connections to Gaelic sgann – membrane (skown); or
busgainte – baited (boos-kantch-eh)

Did you catch anything? Nothing but the gorst! (i.e. no fish at all).  G: gort, pron. gorsht – famine.

Gaelic phrases in Seaboard English

I’ve been looking at the Seaboard use of individual Gaelic
words when speaking English in different contexts up to now – fishing,
describing people, and there are plenty more of these to come. But there are
also a lot of complete Gaelic phrases and expressions that have been
used within living memory, and even today – conversational exchanges,
exclamations, commands etc.  Quite a
number of Seaboard folk have contributed to this particular list, some
anonymously – mòran taing, as usual!

I’ll write the Gaelic first in this case, then the meaning,
and then the Seaboard pronunciations I’ve been given or heard myself, which are
often compressed, and clearly local variations.

Questions and answers

Ciamar a tha thu? How are you? Kimmer a ha oo?

Ciamar a tha sibh? How are you? (polite or plural form)
Kimmer a ha shoo/shio?

Tha gu math – fine.  Ha
gih ma

Tha gu brèagha – great, lovely. Ha gih bree-a

Chan eil ach meadhanach – only middling.  Han yell ach may-nach

Tha mi sgìth – I’m tired. 
Ha mi skee

Tha mi marbh – I’m dead (e.g. exhausted after lifting
taties) Ha mi mar-oo

Tha mi fann – I’m feeling feeble.  Ha mi fyoun

Tha creath-fuachd orm – I’m shivering with the cold (“There’s
a shiver of cold on me”)  Ha creh-foo-achk
orrum..

Cò tha ann? Who’s there? (“Who’s in it?”)   Co ha oun?

Am beil thu staigh? Are you in/inside? Am bil oo sty? (Said
when a fisherman was knocking on the window of a crew-mate’s house in the
morning, to make sure he was up)

Càite bheil X? Where’s X? Caatcha vil X?

Dè an uair a th’ ann? 
What’s the time? (“What’s the hour that’s in it?”) Jay an oo-ar
a houn?

Gu dè tha siud? What’s that? Kih-day a shoot?

Chan eil fhios agams’. 
I don’t know. (“There’s no knowledge at me.”) Han yell iss a-mus.

Exclamations and commands

O Thighearn’! Oh Lord, Good God, Oh my God – seen as very
strong, rather blasphemous.  O hi-urn!

Thighearn’ fhèin! Even stronger – Oh Lord yourself!  Hi-urn hayn!

O Thì! Oh dear! (literally Oh Jesus, but for some reason not
as frowned upon as O Thighearn’).  O hi!

Mo thruaghan mise! Woe is me!  Mo roo-an meesh!

Smaoinich! Just think! Imagine! Smih-neech

Coimhead air a sin! 
Look at that!  Ket er a sheen!

An seall thu air/e! Will you look at it/him/that!  (An) sholl oo a!

Greas ort! Get a move on! (“Hurry on you!”)  Gress orsht!

Dèan suidhe! Sit down, take a seat! Jen soo-ie

Cuir stad air! Stop that! Coor stat er!  (My grandfather would say that to
misbehaving children)

Cuir dheth e ! Turn it off!  Coor yeh eh!  (My mother remembered a neighbour would shout
it when the prized new radio, played in a house with several deaf people, was
too loud for him)

Bi sàmhach! Be quiet! 
Bi so-ach!  (very
local pronunciation, instead of the more common saa-vach). “Dòmhnull Sàmhach”
was an imaginary figure who came to send children to sleep, and here that was
pronounced Dole So-ach.

Dùin an doras!  Shut
the door!  Usually said without the “an”
– Dooon doras!  Or one informant
told me they remembered “Doon the doras!”

Fosgail an doras! Open the door! Again, usually said without
the “an”. Fuskal doras!

Other Gaelic expressions

Ithidh an t-acras rud sam bith – hunger will eat anything,
if you’re hungry you’ll not be choosy. Eek a dacaris root
sa bi

Gu dearbh! Indeed! 
Goo jerra!

Tha mi loisgt’.  I’m
burnt, I’ve burnt myself.  Ha mi looshk.

Tha i coma co-dhiù. She’s easy going, couldn’t care less.  Ha i co-ma co-yoo.

Mas fhìor!  allegedly,
“Aye right!” (expressing scepticism). Ma-sheer.  Also used as an adjective meaning
superficial, not genuine: That’s all masheer! (just showing off),  or even fake: 
That’s masheer jewellery.

Bliadhna Mhath Ùr! Happy New Year!  Blionna va oor!

Baile a‘ Chnuic. Hilton (“Town of the hill”). Balla-chrink

Seannduaig . Shandwick. 
Shoun-dwik

Baile an Todhair. Balintore.  Bal an Dore (with Gaelic initial
D, almost a TH)

And as usual, if you have any more, or variations on these
listed, please get in touch, e.g. via the Hall. All gratefully received!

A’ bruidhinn mu dhaoine / Talking about people

People of the Seaboard Villages

I’ve amassed a huge number of words describing people, or used to address people. Many of them came up again and again, from sources old and young, including ones I collected over the years from those no longer with us. That shows that the words and expressions clearly were, and in some cases still are, well-used.  As ever, many thanks to all who have helped with this. Keep them coming!

The “Seaboard words” are given as spelled / pronounced to me or written down by contributors, so usually are roughly phonetic – locals should recognise them. The Gaelic words are given in brackets, their approximate pronunciation in italics.   In Gaelic, and in the Seaboard words that come from Gaelic, the first syllable is always stressed (and on the Seaboard often lengthened) e.g. spàgach, splay-footed = SPAA-cach.

1.The young

Bumalair – a big male child, careering around; a very
big baby. What a bumalair! Also someone who messes up a job. (bumalair –
bungler, oaf)

A wee eeshan – a naughty child (fairly mild, humorous word). (isean – a young bird, a wee child, esp. a naughty one)

A wee trooster – a mischief, a rascal (stronger
word). (trustair – usually a very negative word used for adults – a
dirty brute, filthy fellow, but clearly not as strong here)

Sproot – a rascal (maybe related to sprùis – an imp, pron. sprooosh)

Ploachack – a plump little girl or baby, admiringly.
(possibly from pluiceach -a plump, chubby-cheeked person; ploiceag–
a plump-cheeked woman; pluic = cheek)

Pochan, pockan – small cute person (pocan – small chubby lad; short fellow, pron. poch-can)

2.The old

Bodach, bottach, an old bottach – old man, old
granda  (bodach – old man)

Bo-ba – granda (not an “official” Gaelic word, but a
common familiar term in at least Shadswick and Balintore)

Cailleach – an old wifie

3.Characteristics, physical features

Spacack, spagach – splay-footed  (casan spàgach – splay feet)

Kervac – left-handed (from cearragach –
left-handed, pron. kyarragach; cearrag, a left-hander)

Doikan – a small person (maybe connected to tòican – a small swelling, bump?)

4.Complimentary

Jeechallach – diligent, hard-working (dicheallach
– diligent)

Spatchal – smart (spaideil – smart, pron. spatchal)

spatchack – posh (probably a variant of spaideil)

Ji-shall (pron. JA-ee-shal)  – good, posh (probably from deiseil – ready, prepared; deiseal – sunwise, southward, lucky, prosperous: both pron. jay-shal)

5.Less complimentary (a long section!)

He’s no yolach … he’s not
handy at what he’s doing; clueless  (eòlach
– knowledgeable)  

Poor gilouris!  Poor soul!  (diolaoiris – object of charity (word
recorded in Wick area); related to more common expression dìol-deirce –
poor soul, wretch). Interestingly, one contributor’s father applied this term
to a gallus youth.

Luspitan – weak, underfed individual (luspardan
– dwarf; puny man)

I’m no voting for them – they’re no but greishers –
very derogatory term. Probably comes from greis, a spell of time, a
while – perhaps in the sense of time-servers, or fly- by-nights? There is also
a word greiseachd – enticement, solicitation, so maybe greishers were
persuasive speakers with nothing behind it? 
I think I’ll adopt this as my new term for politicians…

I’m in luperique – clothes or hands in a mess, e.g. if you spilled something on yourself or someone else. (Probably from (s)lupraich – slurping, wallowing, splashing, or possibly(s)luidearachd, slovenliness . The Seaboard sometimes dropped that initial S in words. (Probably because in some grammatical contexts in Gaelic, the S is changed to SH and not pronounced.)

Emmitchach -foolish (amaideach –
foolish, pron. amajach)

Gorach – daft  (gòrach – foolish)

Him, he hasn’t moochoo! He has no sense. (mothachadh
–perception, awareness. Pron. mo-a-chugh or mo-a-choo)

In or on the artan – on your high
horse, angry. (àrdan – arrogance, haughtiness; height, prominence)

Prawshal– stuck-up  ( pròiseil – proud, pron. praw-shal)

Hanyel e gleek – he’s no wise (chan eil e glic)

Putting on the sglo – sweet-talking,
buttering up. (sgleò – sheen, misting over; idle speech, verbiage.)

Beeallach – two-faced, untrustworthy  (beul=mouth > beulach
-smooth-talking, plausible, pron. bee-a-lach)

Glacker – person speaking foolishly (glacaire
– a blusterer)

Awshach – a foolish woman  (òinseach – female fool)  – heard in Inver

Keolar – peculiar (ceòlar – peculiar,
eccentric)

Glaikit – daft . (Old Scots, probably related to Gaelic gloic – a fool, gloiceach – foolish)

6.Endearments

Maytal – dear, pet 
(m’ eudail – my dear, pron. may-tal)

Brogach, a term of endearment for a wee boy  (brogach – a sturdy lad)

Moolie – pet, darling (to a child)  (m’ ulaidh – my treasure)

Ma geul – my love (mo ghaol)

7.Feelings

If I lift my drochnadar… – if I lose my temper, look out! (droch nàdar – bad temper)

Fyown – feeble, feeling flat, dispirited, faint. (fann
– weak, faint, pron. fown, or feann, shortening, diminishing,
pron. fyown)

Rohpach – feeling ropach – rough (ropach – in poor condition, scruffy, pron. roppach; ròpach – tangled, untidy, pron. roh-pach)

Brohnach – sad (brònach)

In a stoorsht – in a huff, in a fit of pique (stuirt –
huffiness, pron. stoorsht)

Have a boos on you – sulk, pout (bus -pout, pron. booss)

Boossoch – grumpy (busach)